The United States on Monday condemned the Syrian army's incursions into Lebanon and suggested that dissidents of the Damascus regime had either been killed or taken prisoner at the border.

"Over the course of the last few weeks, it appears Syrian forces have entered Lebanese territory," a State Department spokesman told reporters, denouncing the move and calling on Syria to respect Lebanon's sovereignty.

Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal MPs wrangled on Monday at the human rights parliamentary committee meeting which witnessed curses, threats and counter accusations.

The committee was scheduled to discuss a report by Internal Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi on the alleged involvement of the Syrian embassy in the disappearance of Syrian opposition activists in Lebanon.

A High-ranking Lebanese official attempted to extend the timeframe of the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon probing the assassination of ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, whereby the cabinet has until the end of November to pay its dues.

United Nations sources told the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Tuesday that the official attempted to extend the timeframe until Hizbullah and its allies agree on the funding, but the STL didn’t approve the request.

A bomb placed in a rubbish container at the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon exploded late Monday, leaving eight people injured, a Palestinian security official told Agence France Presse.

"An explosion took place in the Ain al-Hilweh camp around 9:30 pm, injuring eight people, one of whom was gravely injured," said Maher Chabayta, a representative of Fatah Movement in the camp.

Hizbullah Chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah stressed on Monday that his party is against the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon probing the assassination of ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

“The cabinet will resolve the issue when it’s the right time, but we refuse to fund the STL,” Nasrallah said in an interview with Hizbullah's al-Manar television.

The Phalange Party praised on Monday the residents of the town of Tarshish for preventing Hizbullah from expanding its telecommunications network in the town.

It said in a statement after its weekly politburo meeting: “The incident confirms that Hizbullah is pursuing its plan to construct its own state by bringing together the regions it controls under its own telecommunications network.”

Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel held talks on Monday with President Michel Suleiman on the former’s recent trip to Egypt.

Gemayel informed him of his talks with Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi, Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amro, Coptic Pope Shenouda III, and al-Azhar Shiekh Ahmed al-Tayyib.

The U.S. Embassy on Monday hosted a round table on the Diversity Visa, also known as the "Green Card Lottery," and warned of the various scams involved.

"Millions of people apply for the green card lottery and 50,000 applicants from around the world will win this year,” Consular Section Chief Adrienne Harchik said.

A Syrian army unit entered the town of Hnaider in Wadi Khaled in northern Lebanon on Monday where it was chasing smugglers, reported MTV.

It said that it entered the town and opened fire at the alleged smugglers.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat praised on Monday Saudi Arabia for its constant support to Lebanon, noting that it has never hesitated in helping Lebanon throughout the various hardships it has endured over the years.

He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa magazine that the kingdom’s crowning achievement towards Lebanon was the Taif accord that helped end the country’s 1975-90 civil war.